WOOD Shutters

Despite the durability and trouble-free properties of PVC or Polymer shutters, timber has long been the first material considered for shutters, however not all timbers perform the same. There can be significant differences in cost from one retailer to the next that serve as an indicator for type of timber, where it was sourced, quality of workmanship, storage of raw material etc.

It is important to consider more than just price and colour if timber is your customer’s preferred choice of substrate. This will help you to assist your customer in making a well-informed decision and protect your reputation in doing so.

COMMON TYPES OF TIMBER:

BASSWOOD
As one of the straightest of hardwoods, Basswood has excellent dimensional stability and strength and does not warp, making it a superior timber for shutters. The preferred choice of quality manufacturers, Basswood is more affordable than fellow high performing hardwoods Western Red Cedar, Maple or Oak.

Native to most of the northern hemisphere, Basswood has tight pores and a fine uniform texture with an indistinct grain. This means it can be sanded and painted or stained to a very smooth and consistent, high quality finish. A very lightweight hardwood, Basswood cuts easily with, and across the grain and has superior gluing and screwing properties. Basswood has no odour, not even during woodworking and is very low in resin and tannins that often bleed through paint finish with other timbers if not prepared accordingly.

Due to a tightening of forestry restrictions over the last five years there is an increasing lack of supply of quality Basswood. Coupled with the challenge of sourcing veritable and legitimate documentation, Basswood is now one of the more expensive timbers in the shutter industry and not as readily available as less expensive timbers Paulownia (Phoenixwood) and Poplar.

PAULOWNIA
Also called Phoenixwood, Paulownia is another hardwood that has a soft finish similar to Cedar. Extremely lightweight and stable, Paulownia has been used for years in plywood, veneer and guitar bodies.

Native to China and readily found across Asia, Paulownia is an extremely fast growing tree and the most renewable timber used in the shutter industry. With its coarse, striped look and large pores, Paulownia provides a rich wood grain appearance making it the superb choice for stained finishes.

POPLAR
Although Poplar is a hardwood, it ranks among the very softest woods in the world. This makes it prone to dents and damage if not handled with care. Poplar can be moderately heavy for plantation shutters and limitations may call for additional rails or stiles to provide rigidity, depending on overall width or height of a panel.

Poplar is not uniform in colour, ranging from very pale to green and almost purple due to mineral steaks. This makes it unsuitable for staining and should only ever be painted as a plantation shutter.

Native to the northern hemisphere, Poplar is widely available but produces a lesser quality shutter than other hardwoods. It is best suited for millwork and trims that are nailed in place.

STORAGE OF MATERIALS

We all understand that fruits and vegetables are seasonal and that we pay more out of season due to produce being stored under costly regulated conditions. The same principles apply to the window furnishings industry with wood shutters. Peak season for the Australian shutter industry runs from November to April each year which happens to be the coldest season for offshore manufacturers.

The ideal moisture content for furniture grade timber is 6-8% so it’s important for manufacturers to control the climate under which timber is stored to maintain ideal moisture levels all year round. Particularly in peak time when outside temperatures can plunge as low as -10°

A quality manufacturer will use climate control storage and mill the timber themselves. Buying from a factory who doesn’t practice this exposes the retailer and the consumer to a very high risk to the typical issues such as shrinkage, swelling, lamination cracking and warping of the timber.

Climate control storage is costly however, and the major reason smaller manufacturers buy pre-moulded raw timber profile from 3^rdparty suppliers with a fingers crossed approach. The consumer inadvertently inherits their risk.

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